 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking for ideas and recommendations please, we (two adults) would like to go by train from North East England to spend next new year (self catering) in France… Questions as follows:
1. Is there a Snowheads thread about skiing by train?
2. Anyone done this or similar trip? Is it achievable to get from home to resort in a day?
3. Looking at options, does a four day interrail pass make this cheaper?
4. Undecided about destination and torn between Serre Chevallier and Morzine / Les Gets, looking for value for money passes, nothing too complicated.
Thanks! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@MotownJunk, There have been quite a few threads about travelling by train and a good website to refer to is Snowcarbon which details some of the easiest resorts to get to by train.
If you are travelling from north east england you would probably be best off travelling to Paris and staying a night there and taking an early train from Gare de Lyon to the alps the next morning. Coming back you would probably be able to do the journey in one day as you will benefit from the hour change. Alternatively you could take the sleeper to Briancon on the Friday night to travel to Serre Chevalier.
I live in the home counties but have been to the alps many times by train over a 25 year period. The easiest resort to get to is Les Arcs as if you take a TGV to bourg st maurice you can then take the funicular up to the resort from the end of the station platform. However there are plenty of other resorts you can get to. Another of my favourites is Montgenevre (eurostar to paris plus TGV to Oulx from where there is a coach transfer to Montgenevre or milky way resorts like Sestriere). NB there are engineering works on that rail line at present but hopefully it will be ok for next year.
Other obvious options are any of the resorts in the tarentaise. We also once went to La clusaz by train taking the train to Annecy and a local bus from there.
If you book tickets when they come out it would be cheaper to pay for the journey rather than an interrail pass. With interrail you have the cost of the pass, extra charges for TGV reservations in France plus the cost of getting to France (eurostar or ferry). So I doubt interrail would be the cheapest way.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@fixx, Thank you for reminding me that UK rail travel is included ...however unless something has changed I don't think it includes getting from the UK to France - ie you still need to pay for a Eurostar ticket or ferry ticket. I recall that I purchased a Eurostar ticket at a cheap price once I had the interrail pass but I know Eurostar limit the amount of interrail tickets that are used so you can't always get availability at the cheap rate.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@snowymum, Interrail includes Eurostar but you need to pay for a seat reservation, which is generally €30.
(Lots of these questions are answered in the thread Fixx links to above and probably most useful to keep everything in one place.)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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That’s a brilliant thread, thanks @Fixx! Dunno how I didn’t spot it when I searched earlier 
Train fares from home to London are always expensive, hence the interrail idea but I’ll peruse that thread and ask questions there. Thanks all!
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The real person to thank is @sugarmoma666 who pulled all the info together and started that thread!
She is an excellent source of information and inspiration for train trips to the slopes.
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As @snowymum says, if you are travelling by train the easiest option would be to head for a resort which has a train station. The most obvious ones being Les Arcs (funicular link from Bourg St Maurice), Serre Chevalier (Briancon being one of its base towns) or the Chamonix valley (stations in Chamonix for Brevent lift, Le Praz for Flegere lift, Argentiere and Vallorcine). Bus links would open up many more options, but French bus services don't seem to run that late if you are looking to do the whole trip within a day.
For the 24-25 season you could be a pioneer and head for St Gervais. A gondola link from Le Fayet station car park up to the current lift base is under construction with completion due for the 24-25 ski season, and the consultation hype said it would run as late as the trains do, but obviously you would be taking a risk that the new lift is completed on time. (Mind you you could always stay in Le Fayet with the aim of taking the new gondola up each day, if it isn't functioning by New Year they will be running a navette up)
(To be fair, there is actually rail access all the way to St Gervais already, there is the Tramway du Mont Blanc rack-and-pinion railway up from the station but that only runs skiing hours in the winter).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ease of transfer is what appeals about Serre Chevalier, trying to combine that with snow sure which puts me off PdS but hadn’t considered St Gervais or that area - I’ll give it a look, thanks!
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@MotownJunk, we live in Durham and our (adult) kids have both done the journey to Serre Chevalier in the past. Has worked out OK.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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MotownJunk,
You could also take the train to Moutiers (Salins) and take a bus from there to any of the 3 Valleys resorts.
The longest scheduled bus transfer from there would be to Val Thorens, an hour away - with Brides Les Bains, Courchevel, Meribel, St Martin De Belleville and Les Menuires being a shorter bus ride.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| @MotownJunk, we live in Durham and our (adult) kids have both done the journey to Serre Chevalier in the past. Has worked out OK. |
That’s reassuring! Did you manage it in a day or did you stay over en route?
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@MotownJunk, they did a return overnight from Briancon on the sleeper which leaves at 8pm , time for breakfast in Paris then Eurostar and LNER home in time for dinner. Outward journey has usually been done in oir car. We have renters staying later this month who are doing the journey by rail both ways from Scotland.
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You know it makes sense.
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@MotownJunk, when travelling from the UK to France the time zone difference works against you. And from the North East, even if you are close to the East Coast Main Line it is likely a three hour trip to King's Cross, and you are obviously dependent on the timetable for how early you can start. At least St Pancras is a short walk, but you will have to make a judgement about how long to allow for catching the Eurostar allowing for winter delays to the connecting service.
And then you will have to change stations in Paris. You will be dependent on French timetables as to whether there is a suitable TGV, but even if there is the track is only fast until you reach the Alps and then you will be going at the pace of the local stopping trains - in fact most likely you will need to change to one. Whether it is feasible to then catch a bus for the last leg is a judgement call you will have to make, so it may be better to aim to stay close to the destination station (e.g. Bourg St Maurice or Le Fayet) and put up with the longer trip up the mountain each morning. For the reverse trip the time zone change is in your favour, but if you in a mountain resort getting an early bus down to the nearest station might be problematic so again staying close might be the answer.
Good luck. It is something we have thought about but not attempted yet.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Home to resort in a day is pushing it. We usually stay in London the Friday evening (premier inn booked well in advance is around £100 for 2) then early Eurostar. Cross Paris and train to moutiers. This year we arrive at 15:49 and will be in resort by 17:00. Time to unpack, grab our skis and have dinner etc.
You could arrive way later but then have a taxi transfer as not sure how late buses go.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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